The Marienwerder Region () was a government region (Regierungsbezirk) of Prussia from 1815 until 1920 and again 1939–1945. It was a part of the province of West Prussia from 1815 to 1829, and again 1878–1920, belonging to the Province of Prussia in the intervening years, and to the Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia in the years 1939–1945. The regional capital was Marienwerder in West Prussia (now Kwidzyn).
History Most of Polish Royal Prussia was annexed by King Frederick the Great of Prussia in the 1772 First Partition of Poland. The town of Marienwerder, previously in Ducal Prussia, became an administrative capital of the newly acquired territory, which became the province of West Prussia on 31 January 1773.
West Prussia was divided into the regions of Danzig and Marienwerder in 1815, following the Napoleonic Wars. While the governor and provincial authorities were based in Danzig (Gdańsk), the (1772–1943) was in the homonymous town.
From 1815 to 1818, West Prussia was reorganised into districts (or Kreise), within each government region. The Marienwerder Region included the rural districts (Kreise) of (1818–1920), (1887–1920), (1772–1945), Flatow (1818–1945), (1818–1920), (1772–1920), (1818–1920), Marienwerder (1752–1945), (1818–1945), Schlochau (1818–1945), (1818–1920), (1818–1920), (1818–1945), (1818–1920), and (1875–1920).
Up until 1920, the Marienwerder Region comprised the urban districts (Stadtkreise) of Graudenz (Grudziądz) and Thorn (Toruń), both established on 1 January 1900.
The Marienwerder Region was placed under an inter-Allied commission from 1920 to 1922 and was eventually divided, with the western districts included within the newly established Polish Republic as part of the so-called Polish Corridor. The eastern part of Marienwerder that voted to be incorporated within the Weimar Republic was named the Region of West Prussia () while it was joined to the Province of East Prussia from 1922 to 1939, after which the original Marienwerder Region was restored until its dissolution in 1945.
Demographics Regierungsbezirk Marienwerder had a majority German population, with a large Polish minority. +Ethnolinguistic Structure of Regierungsbezirk Marienwerder (1910)District (Kreis)Polish namePopulationGerman%Polish / Kashubian / Bilingual%BriesenWąbrzeźno49,50624,00748.5%25,48751.5%CulmChełmno50,06923,34546.6%26,70953.3%Deutsch KroneWałcz62,18261,14398.3%1,0221.6%FlatowZłotów69,18650,64873.2%18,53126.8%Landkreis GraudenzGrudziądz48,81828,75558.9%20,04641.1%Stadtkreis GraudenzGrudziądz40,32534,19384.8%6,07615.1%KonitzChojnice63,72328,03244.0%35,67056.0%LöbauLubawa59,03712,11920.5%46,91179.5%MarienwerderKwidzyn68,42642,46562.1%25,94437.9%RosenbergSusz54,55050,19492.0%4,3217.9%SchlochauCzłuchów67,15756,64884.4%10,48815.6%SchwetzŚwiecie89,71242,23347.1%47,46552.9%StrasburgBrodnica62,14221,09733.9%41,02666.0%StuhmSztum36,52720,92357.3%15,58342.7%Landkreis ThornToruń59,31727,75146.8%31,49353.1%Stadtkreis ThornToruń46,22730,50566.0%15,57633.7%TuchelTuchola33,95111,26533.2%22,65666.7%Total-960,855565,32358.8%395,00441.1%
Districts 1818 to 1920 Urban districts Thorn (1900–1920; 1939–1945), disentangled from Thorn District Graudenz (1900–1920; 1939–1945), disentangled from Graudenz District
Rural districts (1818–1920; 1939–1945), based in Culm upon VistulaThe city of Culm is known as Chełmno between 1466-1772, and since 1920. (1887–1920; 1939–1945), based in Briesen in West Prussia (1772–1945), based in Deutsch-KroneThe city of Deutsch-Krone is known as Wałcz between 1466-1772 and since 1945. Flatow (1818–1945), based in FlatowThe city of Flatow is known as Złotów between 1370-1722 and since 1945, most of the original district area was part of Poland since 1920, and the rest remaining with Germany became Polish in 1945. (1818–1920), based in GraudenzThe city of Graudenz is known as Grudziądz between 1466-1772 and since 1920. (1772–1920; 1939–1945), based in KonitzThe city of Konitz is known as Chojnice between 1370-1722 and since 1920 Löbau (1818–1920; 1939–1945), based in Löbau in West PrussiaThe city of Löbau in West Prussia is known as Lubawa between 1466-1772, 1807–1815, and since 1920. Marienwerder (1752–1945), based in Marienwerder in West PrussiaThe city of Marienwerder in West Prussia is known as Kwidzyn today. Rosenberg (1818–1945), based in Rosenberg in West PrussiaThe city of Rosenberg in West Prussia is known as Susz today. Schlochau (1818–1945), based in SchlochauThe city of Schlochau is known as Człuchów between 1466-1772 and since 1945. (1818–1920), based in SchwetzThe city of Schwetz is known as Świecie between 1466-1772 and since 1920. (1818–1920; 1939–1945), based in Strasburg in West PrussiaThe city of Strasburg in West Prussia is known as Brodnica before 1772 and since 1920. Stuhm (1818–1945), based in StuhmThe city of Stuhm is known as Sztum between 1466-1772 and since 1945. (1818–1920; 1939–1945), based in ThornThe city of Thorn is known as Toruń today. (1875–1920; 1939–1945), based in Tuchel
Regional presidents Each of the nineteen Regierungsbezirke featured a non-legislative governing body called a Regierungspräsidium or Bezirksregierung (regional government) headed by a Regierungspräsident (regional president), concerned mostly with applying state law to administrative decisions on municipalities within their jurisdiction and their umbrella organisations (the districts).Regional Governments in France, Germany, Poland and The Netherlands (HTML version of PowerPoint presentation) – Cachet, A (coordinator), Erasmus University, Rotterdam 1814–1823 : Theodor Gottlieb von Hippel the Younger (1775–1843) 1823–1825 : Johann Carl Rothe (1771–1853) 1825–1830 : Eduard von Flottwell (1786–1865) 1830–1850 : (1785–1854) 1850–1875 : Botho Heinrich zu Eulenburg (1804–1879) 1875–1881 : (1829–1909) 1881–1891 : (1832–1904) 1891–1901 : (1833–1911) 1901–1905 : (1853–1930) 1905–1920 : (1858–1931) 1939–1945 :
Literature Michael Rademacher: Deutsche Verwaltungsgeschichte Preußen, Provinz Westpreußen (2006) E. Jacobson: Topographisch-statistisches Handbuch für den Regierungsbezirk Marienwerder, Danzig 1868 (Online, Google).
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